The shadow of the One Winged Angel
by Gilgamesh
Summary: Five years after the events of Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth begins to rise again. The characters must once again band together to bring him down before he wreaks havoc on the peace they've managed to salvage from his last attack. Reviews are apreciated
1. Murder on The High Seas

Chapter one~ Murder on the high seas  
  
Five years after the fall of sephiroth, the world was begining to know peace once again. Shinra still exists, but it is now run by Reeve, and the Turks have become public servants. Midgar has been almost completely rebuilt after the attack of Meteor. With the world's Mako Reactors disabled, people have begun to use Fossil Fuels once more. Shinra has become now nothing more than a company to supply energy to the masses, and soldier has completely disbanded. Now most of them find work as Mercinaries. Midgar itself is now run by Barret and because of the new design, the slums are non-existant. After The death of sephiroth, Cloud and his party went their separate ways. Red XIII is currently cheif of Cosmo Canyon and the for most knowledge of lifestream and holy. Yuffie returned to Wutai to head the resident Dojo and train a new generation of ninjas which she is, ironically, a part of. Cait Sith was dismantled, as Reeve now has no time to control him. Vincent now wanders the world as a lost soul, searching for Lucrecia, the love he lost so long ago. Barret, as for mentioned, is the mayor of midgar and Polices the city with group of mysterious soldiers known only as "AVALANCH." He is a busy buisness man, but the events with Sephiroth made him realize hat he must spend more time with his daughter. He and Marlene now spend many of their weekends together engaging in activities of family merryment. Cid and Chera were wed only a few months after the battle with Sephiroth. They now have (to Cid's much dischord) a daughter who they named Aeris. They live together in The Rocket town where Cid has begun his own space program. Tifa decided to have Seventh Heaven rebuilt, but with much more extravigance. It is now a nightclub where people from the entire city are atracted to; Famous for it's delicious food and legendary cocktails  
  
Then there was Cloud. Cloud now lived alone in Costal del Sol. He had a house there, and knew he needed to be alone. However, he had not intented to be alone for five years. I had to be Costal del Sol's peacful environment and tropical climate. People traveled the world over just to spend a few weeks here. He had a chance to live here. He should be feeling lucky, But he just didn't. It was the lonliness. No one was here with him. Sure, he had made friends in this area, but he needed his old friends. Though he way immensly glad the the menice of Sephiroth was long since gone, he missed traveling with his comrades. Cloud was having many battles in his own mind about his own morality. Sephiroth was gone. What did that make him? Now Cloud had to live knowing the fact that he is now the most powerful being ever to live. But he was a clone of Sephiroth. Not a total clone, but a Guinea pig thrust into everything by Soldier. Jenova cells existed with in him. How could cloud live, knowing that he was modeled after his greatest foe? Modeled after him, yet some how, he surpassed him. Yes, Sephiroth and Jenova absolute were defeated, but as long as Cloud was still alive, Jenova was too. Sephiroth was loahed by all, but did he have a true reason for it? Sephiroth was indeed a tormented man, seeking revenge against the world that spawned him for it's own selfish greed. Sephiroth's goal was to destroy everything, but seeing how tortured his soul was, almost justifies him.  
  
"Sephiroth. I hated him and yet I used to belive him a friend." Said Cloud to himself as he lay in bed on a beautiful summer afternoon. "It's Shinra's fault. No matter what Sephiroth did, it all goes back to Shinra. But it's more than that. More than just Shinra. It was Hojo. He is the one who injected Lucrecia with Jenova cells. He is the one who started it all. But he got his in the end."  
  
Cloud lay a while longer. He so missed his friends. "Why don't he go see them?" He thought. "There is no reason. Perhaps I should go see them? I have enough money. I think I will. I'll book the next boat to the eastern continent and then I'll show up and sirprise Tifa! Perfect."  
  
Cloud decided to get out of bed and get dressed. His outfit had changed slightly since the old days. He no longer bore the shoulder pads. His cloths were the same, but now a dark crimson. He still had the Buster sword, and it was hanging on his wall. He had no need to carry it around any more.  
  
It was the next day and Cloud was on the ship bound for Junon. A grin was upon his face as he leaned over the side, with the smell of adventure flairing in his nostrils. Everything seemed perfect. Soon he would be back on his way to see Tifa and everyone else. A young sailor walked up beside him.  
  
"A hoy there sir. What be your purpose in this trip?" The sailor asked.  
  
"I'm off to see some old friends. Haven't seen them in forever."  
  
"Really? I'm doin' the same thing. off to see my little sister, Pricilla."  
  
"Pricilla? Pricilla of Junon?"  
  
"The very same! Say, you wouldn't happen to be that Cloud fella she mentioned a while back would ya?"  
  
"Indeed I am!"  
  
"Well, sir, she seems quite fond of you. In her letters she always tells me to look out for him and then tell her how you've changed."  
  
"I would have thought she'd be over that by now." said Cloud with a swell of mixed emberassment and fond rememeberance.  
  
"Well, apparently not." Said the young man,"By the way, my name is Miguel."  
  
The two chatted Merrily long into the evening. as the moon began to rise they realised that they must rest. The boat would dock soon into the morning. They departed to their separate quarters. Both had become good friends in that long conversation, and had agreed that Cloud was to stay at Miguel's house for a few days. Everything was going perfect. Then, as Cloud was at the border of the land of dreams, he was woken by screams and the sound of people running. Cloud got up and ran outside. Then, laying on the deck in a pile of blood, was Miguel. Cloud quicly ran up and pushed people aside. He kneeled down and cradled Miguel in his arms.  
  
"Tell pricilla I love her.", Said Miguel, with blood stuttering from his lips.  
  
"Miguel, who did this to you?!" Cloud said in exasperation.  
  
"It was...The man in the black cloak..." 


	2. The Writing on The Wall

Chapter Two~ The Writing On The Wall  
  
Cloud lay in on the bed in his Cabin, Trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. Miguel, who could have become a close friend, was dead. The entire ship was baffled by the death. A large stab wound directly through his torso. No one knew who could have done it. He knew as soon as Miguel sputtered his final words. It was Him. The name the people the world over still dared to speak. Some reffered to him as "The One Winged Angel". Others simply called him the devil. There was a cult of insane people living at the site of the old temple of the ancients who called him "God". Those with a braver heart called his by his proper name. Sephiroth. Most people still shuddered at the mention of it. However, there is one thing that only Cloud could call him. The time long ago when he called him "friend". But that was long ago. All that Cloud could feel at that moment was an extreme loath and hatred for him.  
  
"But how? How could he be back? Sephiroth is dead." Cloud thought to himself. "I made sure of that my self.  
  
Then, Cloud let out a gasp. "But I did that more than once. Killing him once didn't stop him from coming back. Why should doing it again stop him? I remember, on that day long ago, when he finally snapped."  
  
Cloud held his hand over an old scar on his stomach. The spot where Sephiroth had stabbed him all those years ago. He didn't even remember how he had survived. All he remembered, was the feeling of cold steel plunging deep into his gut. For some reason, he didn't remember the pain. Perhaps the adrenalin, or more likely, the anger had drowned out the pain? Then the naxt thing he remembered was throwing Sephiroth over that bridge in the mako reactor. After that everything went black. Then he remembered being in a large green tube, back in the basement of the Shinra mansion. it was a lab, and in the tank nextto him, was Zack. Zack, a friend of his, as close as Cloud remembered. "Feeding time, now's our chance to escape." After that, the two of them took off, bound for Midgar, but only one of them would make it there. One a cliff, onlooking the city, They were tracked down by Shinra soldiers. Zack was shot, and died there, so close to freedom. Cloud took his weapon, and stole his past. Not an act fitting for a friend, and something Cloud would always have to hate himself for.  
  
Cloud lay in bed, afraid of sleep, for the troubled dreams it would bring. In that position he remained, until the rise of dawn. From the deck he heard a loud call of, "Land Ho!"  
  
He rose from his bed and proceeded to the deck. Miguel's body had been wrapped in a large cloth, and Cloud had taken it upon himself to tell his family. He knew that Pricilla would be crushed, and he hated seeing children cry. As he rose to the deck the gentle scent of sea air filled his nostrils once more, but riding the smell like some ghastly stow away was the foul stench of recent bloodshed.That smell made him uneasy, and filled the entire vessel with an unholy aura. Standing at the dack he looked on to see Junon come into view. the Junon gun, was no longer there, but it was not at Midgar either. It had been completely disposed of. It had no more purpose. The remaining weapons, Ruby and Emerald, returned to Northern Cave to wait for the call of the planet once more. Slowly, it pulled back into port. As everyone started to disembark, Cloud saw some men carrying the large cloth bundle that was Miguel and loading it into the back of an ambulance. No doubt, they were taking him to the morgue. Cloud then started his walk to Pricilla's house. Junon was more or less the same as it had always been, however, the people of lower Junon had moved to upper Junon, tired of living in the shadow of the richer people. However, Pricilla and her parents stayed behind. Perhaps they just loved their land too much of leave it. Or maybe Pricilla just loved their beach. Cloud decided, that he was going to wait untill tomarrow to tell them. Right now, he was tired, and needed rest.  
  
Walking through the streets of Junon, Cloud saw an old bar. "I suppose I will hang here for a while." He thought casually to himself.  
  
Entering the bar, Cloud ploped down in the nearest seat and ordered a scotch and water. He sat, sipping his drink for some time. Little did he know that some unexpected company was none too far away. As Cloud was nearing the bottom of his glass, a group of three people entered the bar. All wearing the same pinstriped suit. Two men, and one Woman. The first man with red spicky hair, and wore his suit very loosely, like a man just home from work. The other man was tall, bald and very orderly looking. The woman was blonde, and seemed more enthusiastic than the other two. They were, none other than the Turks. Formally the brutal task force of Shinra, who were still working that position, but no longer used the malicious methods they once practiced. They all sat at a table, and ordered various beverages from the waitress. Cloud was still spiteful to them. No matter how many good deeds they did, he was still plauged by "less than fond" memories of them. Just then, Reno spotted him sitting at the bar.  
  
"Cloud? Hey look! It's Cloud!!!" He yelled flamboyantly.  
  
The rest of the Turks turned to face him, and cloud could help but think,"Ah, crap."  
  
The Turks stood up, and began to walk towards him. Silence fell over the bar, as the three sat down in the surrounding seats.  
  
"What have you been doing Cloud? I assume you've been continuing your petty existince, not doing anything with your life?", Said Reno, with tones of mockery and malice in his voice.  
  
"Piss off" Said Cloud, calmy sitting at his stool still.  
  
"Sure, just brush me aside. I'm not going to leave that easy. Especially if a failed experiment is trying to boss me around."  
  
"Reno, just lay off him" Said Elena, interupting Reno's insults.  
  
"Elena, you take too much."  
  
"I was just trying to-"  
  
"Shut up. Can't you see I'm trying to sass this clown? He's still so hung up over that dead bitch that-"  
  
Before Reno had finished his sentence, Cloud was on his feet, The fires of hell burning in his eyes. Reno had crossed the line.  
  
"What? Are you going to try and fight me? " asked Reno, not the slightest bit timid.  
  
Cloud gave no answer, save a sharp jab into Reno's ribcage. As Reno fell to the floor, clutching his ribs and gasping for the wind that had just been knowked out of him, Elena and Rude backed away to a safe distance, while the most reasonable people had already begun to pour out of the bar. Reno stood back up, still clutching his ribs and mumbling some sort of swear. He then punched at clouds face. An attack which missed, but the next one didn't. Reno's knee was thrust squarely into Cloud's gut. As Cloud fell, he was kicked in the face, causeing him to fall backwards. He stood back up and proceeded to retaliate. This fighting continued for some ten minutes, at which point, both fighters were completely exhasted. Finally, Cloud threw Reno out into the street. The cold hard asphalt knocked him out cold. Cloud then took off down an Alley, too exhasted to face the two remaining Turks. Looking over his shoulder, He cold catch a glimse of Elena and Rude dragging Reno into the bar. Seeing this, Cloud slowed down, knowing that a persuit was not very likely. Then he leaned against the wall, still panting heavily. "What is it with me and fighting?" Cloud thought to himself. "It was that comment about Aeris that drove me over the edge. Reno. He's such a god damn bastard."  
  
Cloud then stood back up, and proceeded to a near by Inn. It was cold out. Icey and bitter, despite the mid-summer season. Evil things were about. Cloud could feel that. It was more than his encounter with the Turks he just had. There was something else. Still walking down the street, ha made it to an inn. He walked inside, and rented out a room. He was very tired, and sleep would be welcome. Trudging slowly upstairs, he took the key that the man at the counter had given him, and unlocked his room. Walking in, he briefly turned on the light, before flicking it back off and collapsing on the well made bed.  
  
That night, Cloud dreamed. Horrible dreams they were. In the dream, Cloud saw himself, standing before Aeris, just before Sephiroth came soaring down, jamming his deadly blade deep into the stomach of the woman Cloud had loved. Seeing himself stand there, and do nothing about it, filled him with rage. A deep rooted hatred for himslef; another burden that Cloud was forced to bear on his March through life. Then, as the blade was withdrew, the scene changed, to that day in Nimbelheim. Running into his burning house, he saw his mother, smothered to death by the smoke. As he left his home, he looked into the flames. In those firey depths, he saw Sephiroth. Standing menicingly, looming reminder of Clouds loss. Of his pain. Of his immense hatred for himself. A reminder, that would come to haunt him should he even forget his pain. Then he heard them. Screams. Many of them; blood curdling and horror stricken. Then he woke up, still to hear those screams. It was then that he realized that the screams were not in his mind, but were actually happening. Cloud got out of bed and ran to their source. In the room next to his, people were all crowding, screaming like banshees.  
  
Then Cloud saw it. Blood. Everywhere. It was an extremely grousome site, one that would haunt him for many years to come. Laying on the ground was some poor feelow full of cuts and gashes. Cloud could only imagine how dreadfully paiful his death must have been. But then he saw the words he would never forget. Written on the wall in drippy letters of blood were these words...  
  
I'm going to get you Cloud, the same way you got me five years ago  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
So, what do you think so far? I like reviews so...... REVIEW!!! REVIEW YOU FREAKING MORONS!! REVIEW OR I WILL FLOGG YOU!!! FLOGG YOU ALL!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
ehm...j/k 


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